Sebastián Canales, 30, still recalls the lessons his late father taught him, one of which was the value of education. 

Canales’ parents migrated from Honduras to the United States in the late 1970s. His father often reminded him that education was an investment in yourself that was yours to keep. 

Through several unexpected turns in Canales’ journey, this lesson has followed him. Whether it was his time as an orthodontic assistant, attending law school, or discovering social work, Canales eventually found a career centered on life's grey areas. 

His journey reflects the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and the willingness to change your course of direction. These themes have shaped Canales’ life as a first-generation college graduate and member of Cleveland’s Latine community. 

Canales was born in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. He moved with his family to Cleveland when he was 12 years old. 

As first-generation U.S. citizens, his Salvadoran mother and Honduran father emphasized the importance of learning. From his father, he learned that education was something more than just getting a degree. 

“He would always say that education couldn’t be taken away from you,” Canales said. 

After his father’s passing in 2020, Canales continued to feel his influence. As Canales began to move through different career paths, his father’s lessons helped guide him through his academic journey, navigating to find his true passion. 

Initially, Canales began a career in dentistry. After realizing his struggle with the field, he began to seek another path. 

His growing interest in the legal world led to his eventual enrollment at Cleveland State University’s College of Law. However, within the first week, Canales began to question whether he made the right decision. 

As Canales was in class, during course instruction with everyone engaging, he realized his passion did not align with how he was experiencing the class. 

Canales remembered thinking that he had made the biggest academic mistake of his life. 

Part of this realization came from what he felt was the law's emphasis on black-and-white thinking. 

This experience allowed him to realize what he truly valued: the grey areas that exist in everyday life and the circumstances that shape people’s experiences. 

“There is no space for emotion, there’s no space for the humanity of the person and their experiences,” Canales said, explaining his feelings about law.

After completing his first year of law school, Canales began working for an immigration law firm. While working on asylum cases, Canales began to meet clients who had experienced various forms of trauma, ranging from domestic to political violence. 

Canales understood his role in helping them navigate the legal process, but was aware that there was more work to be done. 

“I felt almost useless because in my mind," he said. "Yes, I’m helping you gain protected status within the United States, but there’s a big part of your life that is going unaddressed.” 

It was at this moment that Canales began to gravitate towards social work. 

He left law school and began working for a local non-profit helping college students find scholarships and internships. As he worked closely with a student majoring in social work, he realized that this field aligned with his goals. 

Today, Canales is a social work trainee at Cleveland State University’s Counseling Center, while completing his master’s degree in social work at Case Western University. His work is primarily with adults. His ultimate goal is to become a psychotherapist who works with individuals and couples. 

Canales also recognizes the dual importance of working with Spanish-speaking clients and other people belonging to an array of communities. 

“I know that I’m always going to work with Spanish-speaking clients,” Canales said. “But also learning about different communities as well, because I don’t want to become siloed and just operate in one single community.” 

Canales expects to graduate with his master’s degree in May, 2027. Whether he plans to remain in Cleveland, relocate to Chicago, or move elsewhere, his goal is to continue working directly with people and their families. 

While his path has changed more than once, his understanding of the power of education remains true. 

Looking back, he realized that what he felt at the time was the biggest academic mistake of his life was a lesson; learning wasn't so much about choosing between the logic of law and the humanity of life, but finding a space that could accommodate both. Social work has given him that. It respects the grey areas of life, where simple answers do not exist, and the complexities of the human experience are considered.

This is the space where Canales is learning to flourish, the space his father encouraged him to find.